Method and apparatus for converting motion



H. H. PLATT. METHOD AND APPARATUS ron CONVERTING Monow.

APPLKIATION {ILHS APR. 24, I920.

Patented May 2, 1922.

Z $HEEIS--SHEET H. H. PLAT T. I r METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING MOTION. 7

APPLICATION man Am. 1920.

Patented y 2,' 1922.

-2 suns-sum z I HAVILAND H. PLATE, DIE NEW" YORK, N, Y.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONVERTING- MOTION.

nausea,

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that T, HAVILAND H. PLA'rr, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York city, New York, have invented 'Methods and Apparatus for Converting Motion, of which the followingis a specification. r

One object of this invention is to provide a method for converting the unrestrained, random,'straight line motion of small bodies of metal into the useful motion of larger bodies; the invention further contemplating the provision of a device capable of illustrating by mechanical analogy, the possibility of converting some of the unrestrained random motion of the molecules in the-atmosphere into the motion of a machine capable of performing useful work.

These objects and other advantageous ends I attain as hereinafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a plan of a device which may be employed for imparting random motion to small bodies;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the line 2 2, Fig.1; with the rotor removed;

Figs. 3 and a are respectively a plan and a side elevation on a larger scale than that of'Figs. l and 2, illustrating one form of rotor foruse with .the device of said first figures; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a plan and a side elevation of a second form of rotor.

In the above drawings 1 represents a circular table mounted'on a supporting structure 2 and having a flat horizontal top, at whose center is fixed a'vertioally extending spindle or pivot 4: while around its edgeare mounted a number of vibratory blocks or hammers 3 preferably made of hardened steel or the like. These hammers are respectively fastened to the longer of the two arms of U-shaped springs 5 which arein turn fixed to the circularedge ofthe table seas to project radially therefrom A spacing block 6 is mounted between the shorter armof each of the springs and the table to, allow the former tofr'eely vibrate", and each spring has fixed. to its woutei'l fa'rm a plunger? extending radially inward and freelymovable throughlan' opening in its shorter'arm in a line'just below and parallel with the lower surface of the table; v I I The supporting structure 2 is provided with a central j'ournal onwhich 'is rotatably Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. A rnai, 1920. semi no, 376,215.

Patented May 2,1922.

mounted a pulley 9 connected integrally or 1 otherwise to'a earn 8 so positioned as to successlvely engage and i'orce outwardly the various plungers7 as said cainis turned The latter is so formed thatafter thus'movi g each plungeroutwardly and deflecting its spring 5 from the normal position, it suddenly releases said plunger, permitting the spring to oscillate or vibrate in a vertical plane so as to cause'the rapid reciprocation of each-of the hammers 3 in a line radial to the spindle 4. On the table 1 are placed a quantity ofsmall balls 11 preferably made of hardened steel, 1

The rotor shown in Figs. 3 and 4 consists of two actuating vanes 13 and 14 fastened together so as to extend in a diametric line of the table by a rigid strap 16 connected at its middle to abearing member 15 rotatably engaging the spindle 4L; the proportions of the parts being" such that the vanes Y are held just clear of the top of the table so that the rotor as a whole may freely turn on'thespindle as an';.3axis. A; pulley or rotor to. permit of the utilization of its rotary movement; Each'of thevanes l3 and 14% consists of two angular members 17 preterably of ahardened steel, connected by a yoke 18 to one end'of the strip 16 so that each. vane in eliect' consists of a straight rigid bar provided witha wedge-shapedpassage or opening "l9; the relatively narrow' outlets to said passages 'beingon opposite sides of a vertical plane passing through the vanes and of a width'lar'ger than the diameter of the ballsll.

The rotatable member'shown in Figs-5 and 6 llkewise conslsts of a bearing memberand ,its attached hammer 3' that the latter is moved away from the center of the table and thereafter releasing each plunger, with the result that the hammer is givena rapid vibratory movement which is malntained until its plunger 7' isqagain engagedby the 80 equivalent structure 20v is mounted on the g cam 8. As a consequence all of tie ham-- vibration toward and "from the center of the table.

It now the balls ll. are put in motion so that they ultimately strike or are engaged by the hammers 3, they will have further motion imparted to them and all of then will be kept in a state of continuous ag tion-each ball travellin in a straight line over the s q of the table until it strikes and rebounds from another ball or a moving hammer. The surface of the ta'ble is thus continually being traversed by the balls movino' at a high velocity, and the om nature 0 the motion insures that approximately every straight line that can be drawn upon the surface or the table will be traversed in cool direction by one or more balls, if th is operated for a sutliciently long now the rotor illustrates in Figs. 5 6 be placed upon the pivot l as shown, each of its vanes ina relatively short time will receive a great number of blows from the moving balls. The number of blows per second is the same on each side of each of the vanes 13 and 14: as is also the average intensity of the blows and therefore the only motion imparted to the rotor is a slight oscillation resulting from the individual blows struck by the balls upon its vanes.

If on the other hand the rotary member illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 be substituted for that previously mounted on the pivot 4, it immediately begins to rotate in a counter clockwise direction upon the pivot l and by means of a belt on the pulley 20, may be caused to perform useful work. This tion is due to the fact that while the same number of balls strike on each side of each vane, some of them entering the passages 19 from the larger ends thereof. strike the sloping sides of the members 17 and pass completely through said passages. Suchballs retain most of their original motion and direction and consequently exert upon the movable element a force of less intensity than they would if they did not pass through the openings 19.

On the other hand the balls glancing from the entcrnal sloping surfaces of the angle members 17 do not pass through the openings 19 but strike upon and rebound from the radial portions oi the vanes. Consequently the average force of the blows on that side of each vane from which the pas- 19 tapers is less than that on the opposite side of such vane, and there is conse quently an unbalanced total force acting on each of t ievanes t nding; to move it in the direction noted.

The above described action constitutes-a mechanical analogy in one plane of the action of air molecules on two different types of thin membmnes, the small balls representing the molecules in random motion as assumed to be the case by the kinetic theory of gases. The rotor illustrated in 5 and 6 represents an ordinary membrane mounted in the air so t lot the pressure l in a gas, tends to move and Li could be useo to nnpart useful rotary motion shaft or other mechanical device, provided that such holes were sufficient in numher for the device to exert an appreciable otal effect. @bviously many millions of would be necessary to each square inch surface in view of the relatively small mass of the individual gas molecules.

1 claim:

1. The combination of a series of relatively small bodies freely movable in a singleplane; means for maintaining said bodiesin random mot-ion; and means for converting the random'motion of said bodies into di rected motion.

2. The combination of a series or relatively small bodies; means for maintaining said bodies in random motion; and a device for converting said random motion into directed useful motion. 7

3. The combination of a. series of rela tively small bodies; means for maintaining said bodies in random motion; and adevice for converting said random motion into di re ted useful motion consisting of a rotatable structure mounted in the field of movement of the small. bodies, said structure ha' ing openings permitting passage through it of greater numbers or said bodies in one direction than pass in an opposite direction.

4. The combination of supporting struc ture having a flat horizontal surface; a series '5 balls on said surface; meansfor main n said balls in random {EOE Sill ut over surface wit-l in predetermined limits;

rotatably mounted device for convertthe random movement of the balls into :tul directed movement.

0. The combination of supporting structure having a fiat horizontal suriace; a series of balls mounted on said surface; means for maintaining said balls in random movemcnt overthe surface within predetermined limits; and a rotatably mounted device for converting the random movement of the balls into useful directed movement, con sisting of a rotatably supported vane hav through it tapering openings permit ting passage or greater numbers of said balls from one side than from the other.

Cd with tunnel shaped holes 6. The combination of a supporting table; a series of balls thereon; a series of vibratory hammers for maintaining the balls in random movement Within predetermined limits; means for operating the hammers; and a device for converting the random movement of the balls into useful directed movement.

7 The combination of a supporting table having a substantially fiat surface; a series of vibratory hammers surrounding said table; means for actuating the hammers; a series of elements on the table maintained in random movement by the action of the hammers; and means for converting the random movement of said bodies into useful directed movement.

8. The combination of a supporting table having a substantially flat surface; a series of vibratory hammers surrounding said table; means for actuating the hammers; a series of elements on the table maintained in random movement by the action of the hammers; and means for converting the random movement of said bodies into useful directed movement consisting of a rotatably mounted vane having through it funnel shaped passages extending in lines sub- 7 tapering passages, to the action of a sense" of small bodies in random motion, to cause a greater number of said bodies to pass in one direction through each passage than passes in an opposite direction, and thereby exert an unbalanced pressure on the structure; and utilizing such pressure to perform useful work.

HAVILAND H. PLATT.

so a 

